Non-profits that provide human or social services to benefit Goodyear residents are eligible to apply for grants from the city. The Goodyear Community Funding Subcommittee has received and reviewed a record 53 applications requesting more than $660,000 in Community Funding and is recommending the $214,400 available for competitive award in FY2024-2025 be distributed to 31 applicants.
 

The city’s Community Funding program was formalized by a 2001 council resolution. At that time, the following criteria were developed to guide the consideration of community funding support:

• Benefit to the community (current and historic)
• Community need
• Whether the service is already provided (i.e. avoid duplication)
• Geographic service area
• Methods of documenting the benefits to be provided in the community
• Clarity of the projects stated goals and objectives
• Longevity and reputation of the organization’s service in the community
• Follow-up documentation provided for previous applications
• Ability to obtain funding from other sources
• Evidence of organization’s tax-exempt status

At a 2021 work session, Council expressed an interest in supporting the priority areas identified in the Community & Neighborhood Services Master Plan, Phase I: Human Services. 

Recommendations from the plan include:

• The establishment and/or expansion of:
  • Childcare services during non-traditional hours,
  • Mental health services that provide trauma-informed care,
  • Peer support groups,
  • Substance use and misuse education and services that provide trauma-informed care,
  • Tele-services or mobile-service delivery models, and 
  • Transportation access during non-traditional transit hours.
• Nutritious and fresh food, clothing, shelter, and emergency financial assistance for Goodyear residents in crisis or facing instability.
• Container/Community gardens in low-to-moderate income areas.
• Transitional facilities for people fleeing or recovering from abuse. 

City staff solicited proposals from non-profits, reviewed them for completeness and prepared them for review by the City Council subcommittee. The subcommittee met to discuss the applications on May 21 and their recommendations are being advanced for consideration and approval of the full City Council.

On March 27, a save-the-date email announcing the upcoming application release and optional webinar was sent to past Community Funding applicants, members of the Goodyear Faith & Community Roundtable, and individuals who had contacted the city to request information about the grant opportunity. A link to the application was available on the city’s website and emailed on April 1. Information was also shared with local media contacts and an article was published in the Daily Independent on April 3. A pre-application webinar was hosted on April 3, and a recording of the webinar remained on the website throughout the application period. 

The application deadline was April 30. An extension through May 6 was granted to applicants who were in the process of receiving technical assistance on April 30.

There were a total of 53 applications received, including more than 20 first-time applicants.

For the first time, subcommittee members were able to enter their evaluation online prior to the meeting. Scores were averaged and ranked for the group to review and discuss in their May 21 Community Funding Subcommittee meeting. During the meeting, the following 31 funding recommendations totaling $214,400 were established: 



 

Organization: Project Title	FY25 Recommendation
A New Leaf: Coordinated Entry Services at A New Leaf's West Valley Housing Assistance Center	$7,500
Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank: Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank	$20,000
Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers: Nutrition and Hunger Relief for Teenagers	$5,000
All Faith Community Services: Emergency Food Programs	$30,000
Angels on Patrol: Goodyear PD are Angels on Patrol	$8,050
Area Agency On Aging, Region One: Goodyear Senior Citizen Meals	$15,000
Arizona Educational Foundation: teachSTEM	$1,500
AZ Community Impact: Community Impact Collective	$15,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona: Goodyear Community-Based Mentoring Program	$2,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley: Boys & Girls Clubs Serving Goodyear Youth	$8,000
Catitude Gallery & Studio, DBA CATITUDE ARTS: ART BLOCK	$3,600
Central Arizona Shelter Services, Inc.: Homeless Outreach & Navigation for Goodyear Residents	$5,000
Community Legal Services: Legal Advocacy and Education for Low-Income Goodyear Residents	$2,500
Dawn Childhood Foundation DBA Dawn Institute: Trauma-Based Mental Health Services for Children and Families	$1,500
Dress for Success Phoenix: Career Development for Underserved Individuals in Goodyear	$1,500
Forge Youth Mentoring: Pathways to Success: Youth Mentorship Program	$1,500
Helping Families In Need: Access to Healthy Benefits	$6,000
Hope Community Services: Specialized Trauma Therapy for Low-Income Youth	$15,000
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest: Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program (I-HELP)	$5,000
Meals of Joy: Meals of Joy	$3,500
Mission of Mercy: Access to Healthcare for Uninsured Goodyear Residents	$3,000
Parents of Addicted Loved Ones: Goodyear PAL Growth Initiative 2024	$1,500
Sky Kids, Inc.: Sky Kids Goodyear Fly Day	$2,500
Sleep in Heavenly Peace AZ-Phoenix Chapter: Community Bed Build Goodyear 2024-25	$5,000
Sounds of Autism: Workforce Development	$9,250
Southwest Lending Closet, Inc: Keep the Lights On	$18,000
Teen Lifeline: Crisis Services	$5,000
The Opportunity Tree: Supported Employment. Expect. Develop. Support (SEEDS)	$1,500
The Salvation Army, a CA Corporation dba Estrella Mountain Corps: City of Goodyear's Food Scarcity, Food Insecurity	$2,500
WHAM Art Association: Art: A Path to Healing	$7,500
Women4WomenTempe: Women4WomenTempe	$1,500

A summary of all applications received has been attached for reference.